The White Paper for
Vulnerable Children
Working together, sharing the responsibility
New local children’s teams and regional children’s directors
New local children’s teams will bring together frontline professionals working with children to
protect vulnerable children and young people in New Zealand.
The new teams will be made up of local education, health, and social sector professionals to
respond to the needs of vulnerable children.
The teams will ensure:
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vulnerable children’s needs are assessed
all parties required to address those needs are brought to the table
a single multi-agency plan for each vulnerable child is developed, implemented, and a lead
professional is allocated to see the plan through
local services are delivered according to the plan
outcomes are achieved for each child.
Child, Youth and Family and Police will retain their current statutory care and protection
responsibilities.
The new local community-based Children’s Teams will build on existing coordination networks in
local communities.
Whānau Ora providers will be part of the mix of services available in communities and, along with
other NGO services, will play a role in supporting vulnerable children.
The new children’s teams will be rolled out progressively with the first two demonstration sites to
be established and trialed before the end of 2013.
Regional children’s directors
The teams will be led by new regional children’s directors. Their role includes:
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ensuring local systems are working well in identifying and supporting vulnerable children
ensuring Children’s Teams bring key agencies together, assign lead professionals to
vulnerable children, and create and deliver joined-up plans
taking responsibility for other social sector provider contracts in their areas
ensuring vulnerable children receive the services they need from health, education and
other social sector providers
accountability for achieving and reporting on outcomes for vulnerable children in their
region.
Regional children’s directors will be appointed in the two demonstration sites before the end of
2013.
Lead professionals
Each child will have a lead professional assigned to them who will be responsible for:
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the assessment process and determining what services are needed
engaging children/family/whānau in the assessment and decision making process
ensuring the right cross agency professionals are involved in the decision-making and planning
for children
managing and implementing the single multi-agency plan for addressing children’s needs and
achieving good outcomes for the child and their family/whānau
ongoing coordination of services to deliver on the plan
ongoing monitoring and review of plans to ensure a good result for the child.
Drawn from local health, education, justice and social services agencies, the lead professional will
be selected based on the best fit with the child’s needs including their cultural needs. They will act
as the key point of contact for the child and their family/whānau and for all practitioners and
services engaged with the child and their family/whānau.
Under the new system, services for vulnerable children will be prioritised through joint service
design and associated funding and contracting approaches. The focus will be on key services
including mental health and addiction services for children and their parents, intensive home
visiting initiatives and other intensive parenting programmes.
Sector governance and accountability
A new Vulnerable Children’s Board consisting of key government chief executives will be
established to implement and direct resourcing of the White Paper initiatives. The Board will
include chief executives from Ministries of Social Development, Health, Education, and Justice as
well as the New Zealand Police, the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (Housing)
and Te Puni Kokiri.
Reporting to a Ministerial Oversight Group, chaired by the Minister for Social Development, the
Board will appoint a National Director for Vulnerable Children who will be responsible for the
establishment and delivery of the regional arrangements to support the new children’s teams.